Sorry, Bishop Jackson, but George Washington Carver was Gay

Bishop E.W. Jackson is the founder of Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Virginia. He also started STAND, Staying True to America’s National Destiny. Bishop Jackson lives in the same parallel universe that Porno Pete lives in where all LGBT people are “immoral, perverse, degenerates.”

On October 25, Peter LaBarbera hosted Bishop Jackson on his radio show where they both indulged in talking about LGBT people in a dazzling display of venom that showcased the depths of their collective contempt and ignorance regarding gay men and lesbians. It was a race to the bottom. In the midst of this one hour diatribe, Bishop Jackson was incensed that George Washington Carver (1864-1943), the famous African American inventor and botanist, could be considered gay. (This came to his attention because of October being LGBT History Month). Bishop informed LaBarbera and his audience that it was “a lie! Sad that they would slander that man that way.” In the interview Jackson tried to see how many times he could break the 9th Commandment (thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor) as he espoused the view that gay men and lesbians have “perverted minds” and are “very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally”.

Jackson derisively dismissed that notion that G.W. Carver could be gay because Carver was good and gay is bad in Bishop Jackson’s world. The truth is that neither Jackson, nor anyone else has any proof that Carver was heterosexual. But we do have knowledge that Carver never married and rebuffed friends’ attempts to set him up with women. Carver lived with Austin Wingate Curtis, Jr., in a life partnership, and left all of his assets to Curtis.

We have this on record: “Carver never married or expressed interest in dating women, and rumors circulated about his sexuality at Tuskegee Institute while he was an employee. In particular, his enjoyment of giving “therapeutic” peanut oil massages to and engaging in horseplay with handsome men was seen as unusual. Late in his career, Carver established a life and research partnership with another male scientist, Austin Wingate Curtis, Jr. The two men cohabitated from 1934 until Carver’s death in 1943. Carver and Curtis kept details of their lives discreet, and as such historians know little about how these men understood their relationship. Nonetheless, the fact that Carver willed his assets to Curtis testifies to the significance of their relationship.”

“Carver never married and rebuffed the match-making efforts of his friends. From 1935 on, however, he enjoyed the companionship of young Austin Curtis Jr., a Cornell graduate in chemistry. Mr. Curtis accompanied Carver everywhere, providing comfort, assistance and protection, making it possible for Carver to continue his work. Carver would gently tuck his hand into Curtis’s arm when the two set off to check experiments.

Upon Carver’s death in 1943, his assets went to Curtis, his devoted companion.
In addition, I had the privilege of holding in my hands a letter written by the hand of George Washington Carver that led me to believe that he was indeed a gay man. In Bishop Jackson’s world the beautiful genius of George Washington Carver could not stem from a gay heart. In the real world, it did.

About the Author

Sylvia Rhue is a writer, activist, filmmaker and producer. She is working on a one-woman comedy show called “CAKE: You Ain’t Gettin' None,” which will be filmed and performed in Santa Monica, Calif. She is the former Director of Research and Academic Initiatives and former Director of Religious Affairs with the National Black Justice Coalition located in Washington, D.C.

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7 Comments

John PatrickNovember 5, 2012 at 8:59 am -

There is a wonderful garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, dedicated to George Washington Carver and his work. There is a striking statue, plants, a pool, and a pathway with quotes from him. And there are a number of books in the Garden bookstore about him.

Scott RoseNovember 5, 2012 at 9:02 am -

A lovely post!

Wayne BesenNovember 5, 2012 at 10:41 am -

Great post. I’m sure Porno Pete will blow his top!!

Preston WardNovember 5, 2012 at 10:53 am -

Wow this is so interesting to read. I grew up in Orange County, CA, but my parents are from Springfield and near Joplin, MO. When I was a child, I’d often visit my grandparents who still lived there when they were alive. A couple times we went to the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, MO which is very close to Joplin. I knew I was gay when I was 4-5 (well, I knew I liked other guys but didn’t know what it meant to be gay at that age) and I so wish I would have known then that Carver was gay as this would have made the visits to his center so much more meaningful. In fact I wish I would have known this the last time I visited it a couple years ago.

I moved to Joplin a few years ago, so I live just a few miles from the GWC National Monument now. I wonder if I should go over there and insist they make it a point to divulge his sexual orientation in their history of him. ;)

This story really points out why it is so important for gay people to be out and why research needs to be done on all historical figures who may have been gay and why they should be outed if they were gay. There is nothing wrong with and no shame in being gay, so there is nothing at all wrong with outing historical figures who were gay. It’s no different than finding out someone had blue eyes or brown eyes. And it’s SO important for gay kids to know they aren’t alone and that some very famous people were just like them.

Paul DouglasNovember 5, 2012 at 11:42 am -

Wow! I had no idea about GWC. Thanks for posting!

KevinNovember 5, 2012 at 11:45 am -

I agree Wayne, a wonderful post on your part. I never knew this about Mr. Carver. Thanks for the history lesson.
Oh, don’t worry about Bishop Jackson and Porno Pete. Any jackass that needs to call himself a Bishop who deals out the BS that he does doesn’t deserve to be a Bishop. As for Porno Pete….that toilet is his own worse enemy….

StraightGrandmotherNovember 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm -

Sylvia Rhue very informative aryicle. I didn’t know this until I read your article. Thank you very much.

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